4 ms·

It's my estimate, as a non-user, that someone would drive much better under the influence of marijuana than alcohol, especially at the extremes. It's also my e

by mod 12y ago

It's my estimate, as a non-user, that someone would drive much better under the influence of marijuana than alcohol, especially at the extremes. It's also my estimate that many drivers at .08 BAC or under the influence of marijuana are far superior drivers than some other drivers who are 100% sober. So why isn't the line drawn based on driving ability or driving performance rather than mental state? I can see some obvious reasons: you can measure BAC and it's pretty hard to objectively measure driving ability. But the point stands--BAC is not a measure of actual driving ability, rather a measure of personal impairment. Edit: for dumbness.

ecdavis 12y ago
Driving under the influence is dangerous because it affects your judgement and your reaction times - much like driving while tired. The danger is not as present in familiar, safe conditions, but when something unexpected happens that puts you in a potentially dangerous situation. If you are driving under the influence your decision-making is impaired and you are more likely to make the wrong decision and be involved in an accident. So perhaps there are some people who drive better under the influence than others who are sober, but that says nothing about their ability to react to dangerous situations. > So why isn't the line drawn based on driving ability or driving performance rather than mental state? Reckless/careless driving is a traffic violation that can result in loss of license.
- mod 12y ago
  Okay, so rephrase my post to this: I'm sure there's some segment of the population (A) that is so bad at reacting to dangerous situations that the people who are best at it (B) still outperform (A), despite (B) being under the influence. You just shifted "driving" to "reacting to dangerous situations." The point holds. Reckless / careless driving is a seldom-issued traffic violation, probably often in conjunction with DUI. It does not cover "the old man who can't pass a sobriety test when sober."

by mod 12y ago

ecdavis 12y ago

Driving under the influence is dangerous because it affects your judgement and your reaction times - much like driving while tired. The danger is not as present in familiar, safe conditions, but when something unexpected happens that puts you in a potentially dangerous situation. If you are driving under the influence your decision-making is impaired and you are more likely to make the wrong decision and be involved in an accident. So perhaps there are some people who drive better under the influence than others who are sober, but that says nothing about their ability to react to dangerous situations. > So why isn't the line drawn based on driving ability or driving performance rather than mental state? Reckless/careless driving is a traffic violation that can result in loss of license.

mod 12y ago
Okay, so rephrase my post to this: I'm sure there's some segment of the population (A) that is so bad at reacting to dangerous situations that the people who are best at it (B) still outperform (A), despite (B) being under the influence. You just shifted "driving" to "reacting to dangerous situations." The point holds. Reckless / careless driving is a seldom-issued traffic violation, probably often in conjunction with DUI. It does not cover "the old man who can't pass a sobriety test when sober."